Best Years of Your Life
by ffviifan
Summary: Cloud and Zack are best friends and roommates in college. Cloud keeps his crush on Zack's long-term girlfriend, Aerith, a secret. A secret that might not matter after he runs into an old friend in a bar. First chapter of many.
1. Chapter 1

"Dude, I am 100% sure that finals are going to kill me."

Cloud finished zipping up his backpack and acknowledged his best friend.

"Yeah, you're probably right; you _are _an idiot," he jeered.

Zack punched him on the shoulder and grinned.

"Senior year, though, right?"

Cloud nodded. Yeah, senior year of college. He hadn't confided in Zack that he was utterly terrified of what the future held. He took a deep breath. _You've got another semester to figure that out, Cloud. Calm down. Breathe._

"Hey, anyway, I was thinking that we could hit up that new bar downtown on Friday night, you know? Celebrate? The holidays are in a few weeks and Aerith is coming with me to finally meet my folks and you're going back to Nibelheim… You won't see me for like a month, so.."

"Why do you always list every possible reason there is for me to have to do something?"

"Because otherwise you won't do it!" Zack flashed a grin and headed off to his next class.

Cloud picked up his bag and walked to the library; it was his favorite place to study. He loved Zack like a brother and known him longer than almost anyone, but he needed peace and quiet and Zack knew nothing of either. He also knew nothing of the horrible, unshakable crush he had on Aerith since freshman year and he never would. The thought of going out with them on Friday sounded terrible, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it. Cloud picked a seat in the back of the building and set his pack down. He didn't have any assignments to work on since it was finals week and he didn't feel like studying. He browsed the aisles for something to read but nothing caught his eye. He turned to go get his things and head towards the dorm when he saw _Nibelheim Village: History and Horrors. _Horrors? Cloud almost laughed out loud; nothing terrible ever happened in Nibelheim because nothing ever happens in Nibelheim. He plucked the book from the shelf, grabbed his pack and headed to the counter to check it out.

Aerith giggled and let out a sigh as her head rested on her pillow.

"I'm going to fail every class if you don't leave," she smiled.

"I wish I was sorry," he said as he pressed his lips to her collarbone.

She squirmed underneath him and placed her hands on either side of his face.

"Hey. Stop, seriously! You've been here for, like, oh GOSH, ZACK! You've been here for THREE HOURS and all we've done is…"

Zack stopped her lips with his. His buried his fingers in her thick curly hair; she always smelled like flowers and honey. She was so soft, so perfect, so beautiful to him.

"Alright, we can stop. What'd you need to study tonight?"

"Physics. I'm doomed."

"You're not doomed," he laughed. "You're the smartest girl I know."

"I'd say you're the smartest guy, but your roommate might have you beat," she teased.

"Oh? Oh, Cloud? You want me to get him in here? You'd have to put your clothes back on, not sure he's ever seen a girl in her underwear before."

"Oh, stop!" Aerith smacked him on the arm. "You should be ashamed of yourself. He's not even here to defend himself!"

They giggled together for a minute and then Zack got up to retrieve his books. The smile drifted from Aerith's face when she knew he couldn't see her. She was quite certain that Cloud wouldn't mind seeing her in her underwear at all, but she didn't want to say that to Zack. Most of all she was worried that her eyes would betray the part of her, deep down inside, that entertained the idea the thoughts of being with Cloud. Zack is her first boyfriend, her first love, her first everything and although she loves him greatly, part of her desires… variety.

Zack returned to her bed and opened up his notebook.

"Alright," he said. "Let's review."

"So, Cloud, you gonna brood in a dark corner all night or are you gonna try to finally find a girl?" Zack chuckled as they made their way through the streets of Midgar.

"I'm probably just gonna punch you in the face," Cloud shot back.

Cloud walked a little quicker than the couple behind him so he didn't look too long at the way Zack's arm was casually wrapped around Aerith's perfectly curved waist or the way her hair bounced in a beautiful ponytail or the way -

"How do you think you did on your exams, Cloud?" her voice rang out like bells.

"Well, I've made it this far through college, I'm guessing I did just well enough to make it to the finish line."

"Just one more semester!" Zack cheered.

The group stopped just outside the bar which looked absolutely packed.

"Lots of reasons to celebrate," Zack said gleefully.

"Or mourn," Cloud joked.

The inside was barely lit. Everyone seemed to have a drink in their hand and the music blasted through the place; it was almost impossible to hear one another speak.

"We're gonna go ahead, bud. Aerith sees a friend from one of her classes. Go get a drink; meet a girl!" Zack shouted in Cloud's ear.

"Thanks for the advice!" Cloud responded and rolled his eyes.

He headed towards the bar; the sooner he had alcohol in his system the better. He spotted an open stool and snuck into it before one of the others did. He turned to try and find his friends in the crowd.

"Hey, spiky hair. What can I get you?"

He turned and locked eyes with the most vividly brown eyes… no, not quite brown, maybe a deep red wine color. The young woman before him at the darkest hair that swished around her waist in a loose ponytail. The shape of her body was everything a man could desire, but Cloud noticed the muscle definition in her abdomen, arms, probably legs, too. She was gorgeous, unbelievably gorgeous, but tough. She smiled at him, but he could tell that she didn't mean it; it was just something she was too used to doing. He could see the ridge of a scar poking out from the top of her tank top and again at the bottom where it cut off right above her belly button.

"Gnarly scar," he offered.

She flushed a charming pink and her eyes hardened.

"That's not your business. You want something to drink or not?"

"House scotch, neat."

He turned away from her again and looked for his friends in the crowd. He faintly heard the sound of Zack's laugh but he couldn't locate where it was coming from. When he turned back, the girl was there again with his drink.

"Looking for a girl?" she asked.

"That's not your business," he threw back at her.

"Ooh, spiky hair, spiky personality," she smiled, this time genuine. A dimple popped up on her right cheek. He smiled back at her.

"You're funny. You should quit your job here and be a comedian."

She laughed.

"Who's funny now?"

She set his drink down in front of him and turned to help another customer. He watched the eyes of men devour her, every move she'd make mesmerized them. They whistled, threw disgusting suggestions, grabbed her arm as she set down their drinks. She was stone cold and Cloud had a feeling that she could easily kick the ass of every man in this bar, including himself. As soon as the thought finished crossing his mind, a man reached around the bar to slap her on the ass. As soon as his hand made contact, she turned around and blackened his eye. The men around the bar began shouting, but she was louder.

"The next person to put his hands on me won't have arms and anyone who has a problem with that can get the hell out. And you," she turned to the man holding his drink to his eye. "You can get the hell out right now."

She was small, but fierce. A dozen men got up to leave, including the man she socked. Cloud found himself sitting at the bar alone. A middle-aged blonde man showed up behind the bar.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Cid. Sorry. Won't happen again. Unless this guy decides to get handsy," she nodded in Cloud's direction with a small smile. Cid just grunted and left the bar again.

"That your boss?" Cloud asked.

"Something like that. Another drink? Last call is in 30."

Cloud nodded and noticed that her hands shook a little as she poured more amber liquid into his glass.

"So where are you from?" she asked.

"The odds that you've even heard of this place is so small, there's no point in even telling you," he offered.

"Oh, really? I come from a pretty small place, too. A village, actually. Nibelheim."

Cloud stopped mid-drink and almost choked. Red wine eyes, long, dark hair.

"Tifa?!"

"Took you long enough, Spiky."


	2. Chapter 2

"There you are, buddy!" he felt Zack's hand slap him on the back. His best friend slid into the seat next to him and Aerith took the seat next to Zack. "I'll have whatever he's having and she's with me," he said, sliding his arm around Aerith's shoulder.

Cloud finished his drink in one gulp.

"Another?" Tifa asked with a grin. Cloud nodded.

"So, how's it going? You meet any ladies? Talk to anyone at all?" Zack laughed.

Cloud just sat there. He couldn't think of anything to say; he was too busy remembering a small, dark-haired girl with red wine eyes. They used to play together in her backyard when her mother was still alive; after her funeral, Tifa didn't really go out much. He remembered that she loved music, that on the days her mother baked cookies, she would poke her head through his window and ask him to come over.

"Do you still play piano?" Cloud questioned, ignoring the looks on his friends faces.

"Um, no, actually. I can't afford one, so I haven't played since I left home," she said, setting his drink down in front of him.

Cloud just nodded. He picked up his glass, but didn't raise it to his lips. Tifa Lockheart, right here in Midgar.

"How's your dad?"

"He's, um, he's…" Tifa scrunched up her face like she was trying to remember. "He's fine, I guess."

"What the hell is going on here?" the look on Zack's face was priceless.

"Oh! Um, Tifa, this is Zack Fair. I met him a few months before college started and we've been roommates ever since. And this is Aerith Gainsborough, Zack's girlfriend. Guys, this is Tifa Lockheart. She and I go way back. I mean, probably since we were in diapers. She was my next door neighbor growing up."

Tifa offered her hand to Zack and he shook it with a huge grin on his face; Aerith was a little more hesitant, Cloud noticed.

"Any friend of Cloud's is a friend of mine," Zack said. "Although, he doesn't have any other friends, so -"

Cloud smacked him on the back of the head. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks and he despised it. Funny how all these years had passed without even thinking about her and he still wanted her to be impressed with him. He heard her stifle a giggle.

"Cloud always was a lone wolf," she smiled.

"Well, he's not anymore. He has two friends who love him very much. He doesn't need to feel alone," Aerith said coolly.

Blush spread across Tifa's cheeks; she opened her mouth like she was going to say something but couldn't quite get the words out. Zack and Cloud stared at Aerith, confusion obvious on both of their faces.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE," Cid's voice boomed. "OUT. GO HOME AND THROW UP."

"I'm starving," Zack groaned. Cloud laughed; any time Zack had any alcohol, food was going to follow. It had been that way for four years.

"There's a 24/7 diner just down the road. It's about three blocks from here, straight down, and then take a left," Tifa offered as she began cleaning out glasses.

"That sounds amazing. You are amazing, Tifa, you know that? Cloud probably knows that. For someone so amazing, it's funny how you never brought her up, Cloud," Zack said, nudging Cloud with his elbow. Again, heat found it's way to Cloud's face. He glared at his best friend.

"You know what, why don't you join us, Tifa? How long will it take you to clean up here?" Zack asked.

"Um, wow. Uh, that would be great," her eyes darted to Cloud for a brief second. "Uh, it'll be fine. I can just clean this up when I get back. The boss won't mind," she said with a laugh like it was her own private joke.

"Great! This is going to be awesome! I bet you have embarrassing baby Cloud stories," Zack cheered. Cloud heard Aerith let out a sigh. No one else seemed to notice; he glanced at her as if to ask what was the matter. She just shook her head and put on a smile.

"Hey, Cid! I'm going out. Lock up when you leave; don't worry about the mess! I'll clean it up when I get back," she ran over to him and gave him a hug.

"You know these people?" he asked her, eyeing the group suspiciously. "Be safe, darlin', alright? I don't want to have to hunt you down and kick someone's ass."

Tifa rolled her eyes and walked back over.

"Is that your dad?" Aerith asked.

"No, no. That's Cid. He and some of his friends got me out of a little trouble when I first moved to Midgar. He kind of adopted me after that, even though I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she said, sounding very fond of him. "I guess I love him like a dad."

They were in the street now and the air was chilly; Cloud could see his breath. Tifa was wearing just a tank top and jeans. He shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and wrapped it around hers. She looked up at him and smiled. A group of men behind them began to groan.

"Oh no, c'mon now, baby. Take the jacket back off."

"Let's see that body, come on, sweetheart."

"Hey, honey, you've got nothing to be ashamed of, promise."

Tifa kept her eyes focused straight ahead. Cloud could see the red in her cheeks and he felt it in his own, only it was different; he was angry. He wanted to turn around and beat those idiots to a pulp. He wondered why Tifa didn't do it herself; he had seen that she was more than capable.

"What about your friend up there? In the pink? Is she more fun than you?"

"Yeah, hey, why don't you turn around and show us what you've got?"

Zack stopped and turned around; the hate was obvious in his eyes. He took two steps before Tifa grabbed his arm and turned him back around. She didn't say anything, she just shook her head. She let go of his arm.

"We're here," she said. The group walked up the steps and she finally glanced behind her but no one was there anymore.

"Does that happen a lot?" Cloud asked, sliding in the booth beside her. She just nodded and opened a menu.

"Then why do you live here," Aerith asked, incredulously.

"Because I'm poor and will always be poor and when you're poor, you learn to live like this," Tifa said tightly.

"Why not go to college and better yourself?"

Zack and Cloud threw a look at Aerith. She never acted like this; she was always so sweet, so kind, so open to everyone. Tifa didn't respond to her question; instead she kept her eyes trained on the menu. Cloud could see tears in her eyes, but they never fell. He moved in a little closer to her, wanting to comfort her but unsure how to; he could tell she didn't like to be touched.

"What can I get you all to drink?" the waitress asked.

"Uh, water for me and a coffee for her," Zack said.

"And for you?" she asked, looking at Tifa and Cloud.

"I'll have an iced tea," Tifa responded quietly.

"And I'll have a coffee, too," Cloud said. "And, uh, put hers with mine."

Zack began grinning like an idiot.

"I figure it's the least I can do since we grew up together and I haven't tried calling you in four years," Cloud said, nudging Tifa lightly.

"Yeah, what the hell?" she laughed.

Cloud had always loved making Tifa laugh; it wasn't always an easy thing to do. It felt so weird to be sitting here with her after so long, like he was introducing his friends to a ghost.

"So when did you move to Midgar?" Aerith questioned.

"Um, about four years ago. I decided I was tired of the village life and wanted the city."

"So why Midgar?" Aerith continued.

"Well, I knew that Cloud was here, going to college. I thought it would be nice to know someone in the city, so I came here."

"But you haven't even seen each other since you got here, so a lot of good that did."

"Aerith, stop," Zack mumbled. She looked at him and began to blush, as if she hadn't realized how she was behaving.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa. I didn't mean to - "

"No, that's alright. You just met me. It's okay. It's nice to know that Cloud has people who are looking out for him."

Cloud smiled; classic Tifa, he thought. Always so quick to forgive, to always see the good in people. It was nice that she hadn't changed. The waitress came back with their drinks and they ordered their food.

"Speaking of people who look out for each other, tell me more about this Cid guy," Cloud said. He was suspicious of any middle-aged man who would take in an 18 year old Tifa.

"Oh, well, it's not just Cid. Cid and his wife, Shera, live just across the street from the bar. And there's Barrett, Cid's best friend. He and his daughter, Marlene, live pretty close by, too. They're like my family. When I got to the city, I got into a fight with this gang. It started with what happened earlier, you know, with those men. And I got angry and decided to do something about it. The Turks is what they called themselves. Anyway, Barrett and Cid pulled me out of the middle of it and Cid made me take a job bar tending in his bar and that's where I am now."

"You're a badass. I can't believe you were friends with Cloud. I can't believe Cloud is friends with a badass. That's so unlike him. You're cool. I like her," Zack said. Aerith laughed and Cloud smiled, too. She was a badass; she always had been.

Their food arrived and they ate and joked and laughed. He told everyone the story of how Tifa would pop her head in through his window and Tifa made water shoot out of Zack's nose when she told the story of Cloud eating mud.

"She told me it was chocolate pudding!" Cloud said defensively. "She was SUPPOSED to be my friend! I believed her!"

Once the checks were paid, the group huddled outside together.

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to walk Tifa home."

Zack wiggled his eyebrows; Cloud punched him on the arm. Aerith gave Tifa a quick hug.

"It was so nice to meet you. I'm really sorry about all my questions. I hope we get to see you again."

Aerith wrapped her arm around Zack's waist and they headed back to campus.

"You have nice friends."

Cloud nodded.

"Yeah, they're really great. I don't think I could have made it this far without them."

The two walked in silence for a few minutes. Snowflakes began to stick to the ground; Cloud could see them contrast beautifully with Tifa's hair.

"Why didn't you try to find me?" he finally asked.

"Um, I guess I was embarrassed. I mean, for the first month I was here, I was nursing a black eye and broken wrist. I had a huge cut down my torso. It was awful. I didn't want you to see me like that. Like this, you know, living down here in the slums. You're really making something of yourself and I'm just… Just here."

"Tifa, you've never been just anything."

They had made it back to the bar.

"So do you just live in the bar?" Cloud asked.

"There's an apartment above it, that's where I stay. It's actually pretty nice. Cid and Shera have been very kind to me. Oh! Here's your jacket. Thank you," she smiled, shrugging off the jacket and handing it to him.

"Keep it. It'll give you something to remember me by when you don't get ahold of me for the next four years," he teased. She lightly pushed him.

"That's not fair, but yeah. I'll keep it."

"It was really good to see you, Tifa. Don't be a stranger," he said softly.

"Same to you, Spiky. You know where to find me."

She wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly, the smell of her hair the same as it's always been: apple, blueberry, wind; just like living in an orchard.

"I really missed you," he whispered. "I didn't even realize how much."

She pulled away from him and he could see tears in her eyes again.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm really glad you showed up tonight. Get back to school safely, you hear?"

He chuckled and promised to let her know when he was back in his dorm. He watched the door close behind her.


End file.
